William Williams

club = Winner's Circle

Williams won his first NCAA national title at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. He took an early lead after the first round of jumping, but he was quickly surpassed by Charles Brown and eventually Grant Holloway, who jumped 8.13 metres to lead in the penultimate round but then decided to skip the final round to focus on his 60 metres hurdles event. Williams saved his best effort for his final jump, posting an 8.19 metres personal best to win the championship. He had only jumped further than 7.90 metres one time before indoors, but at the 2018 championships he surpassed that mark three times.

Professional career At the 2021 United States Olympic trials, Williams jumped a best of 7.73 metres and did not advance to the finals, missing out on the 2021 U.S. Olympic team. By virtue of placing 4th at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Williams was able to represent the United States for the first time at both the 2022 NACAC Championships and the 2022 World Athletics Championships that summer. Though Williams did not advance to the finals of the 2022 World Championships, he redeemed himself by winning the gold medal at the NACAC Championships the following month.

He achieved his first national title at the 2023 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, jumping a new personal best of 8.20 metres. Though he only finished 8th at the 2023 US Outdoor Championships, he nonetheless qualified for the 2023 World Athletics Championships because many of the jumpers ahead of him had not achieved the World Championship standard that Williams had.

Personal life Williams is a member of the Winner's Circle club and he is coached by four-time world champion long jumper Dwight Phillips. He won the 2023 Relays Night slam dunk contest held during the half-time of a January Drake Bulldogs men's basketball game in honor of the Drake Relays, scoring 114 out of 120 possible points.

In 2020, Williams was named as an assistant coach for the Arkansas State Red Wolves track and field team.

Statistics Best performances Event Mark Competition Venue Date Ref Long jump 8.23 m Mt. SAC Relays Walnut, California April 15, 2023 100 metres 10.32 Alumni Muster College Station, Texas April 30, 2022